- Bright, metallic green
- 1/2 inch long, flattened back
- Purple abdominal segments beneath wing covers
No doubt you have noticed that numerous trees around our subdivision have yellow ribbons and X’s painted on them. You may have also noticed that the tops of the affected trees appear to be dead, though the bottoms of the same trees are flourishing and even sending out new branches. This is due to an Emerald Ash Borer infestation that has been sweeping through our neighborhood. This infestation will eventually kill the tree, and so York and Milton townships are wisely acting proactively to cut down the infested trees for safety reasons, and to help prevent the spread of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB).
Todd Jacobson, Head of Horticulture at the Morton Arboretum and a member of our landscaping committee, has provided the following useful links to help us understand what the Emerald Ash Borer is, and how it infests and, ultimately, destroys the ash trees in our neighborhood.
Official Emerald Ash Borer Site:
http://www.emeraldashborer.info
The Illinois Department of Agriculture Emerald Ash Borer Information:
http://www.agr.state.il.us/eab/
Mr. Jacobsen also discussed the Emerald Ash Borer problem at our June meeting, a summary of which can be found on page 4 of our August newsletter.